LOW FODMAP CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

To make things more hands-off, this low FODMAP chicken enchilada soup is designed to be made in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. It features a flavorful veggie-filled base of tomatillos, sauteed leeks, and jalapeño. To make the veggie base nice and smooth, I also recommend using a blender or immersion blender for this recipe.

I’ve opted to include chicken breasts for a bit of lean protein. They cook with the veggies until tender, are then shredded, and stirred back into the soup. Before serving, I recommend adding fresh lime juice and cilantro (if you’re a fellow fan) for a boost of complimentary flavors.

This recipe makes great leftovers. It’s yummy right away, but I think it gets even better after a night in the fridge letting all of the flavors blend together. If you plan to enjoy as leftovers, refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for up to four days. I’d also recommend leaving out the (optional) cilantro and other optional garnishes until ready to serve.

ARE TOMATILLOS LOW FODMAP?

According to Monash University, canned and drained tomatillos are low FODMAP in 1 cup or 75-gram servings. Currently, there is limited data available on FODMAPs in tomatillos. With the available information, we don’t know if fresh tomatillos are “safe”, nor if larger amounts can be tolerated without doing individual test-to-tolerance experiments.

Tomatillos aren’t a super common kitchen item, especially if you’re from the rural midwest like me, but you may have had them if you’ve tried green enchiladas or salsa verde before. If you’re unfamiliar, tomatillos look kind of like a green tomato and are considered a staple in Mexican cuisine. They grow in a papery husk, kind of like a ground cherry or goldenberry and have a tangy, slightly sweet taste.

Although fresh tomatillos are available in many larger grocery stores, canned tomatillos may be a little harder to come by. The only brand I’ve been able to find is La Costeña. I found it in the Hispanic section of Woodman’s, as well as online on Amazon.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Although this low FODMAP chicken enchilada soup is delicious on its own, it’s made extra special with optional toppings like cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and plain low FODMAP yogurt.

I like to use plain low FODMAP yogurt as a sour cream substitute. Being essentially dairy-free (a non-FODMAP intolerance), plain COYO coconut milk yogurt is my current favorite. Coconut yogurt has been tested by Monash and a low FODMAP serving is considered 125 grams. If you tolerate dairy, you’re more than welcome to use a dollop of sour cream – a low FODMAP serving is up to 2 tablespoons (40 grams) – or plain lactose-free yogurt, like Green Valley Creamery.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. (I like to use two forks.) Return the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and stir to mix. Add lime juice to taste, as well as the (optional) finely chopped cilantro. Adjust flavor as needed with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm topped with optional garnishes.

Instant Pot:

Press the “Saute” setting on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add oil and saute leek leaves until bright green, fragrant, and soft. Cancel the “Saute” setting. Add tomatillos, jalapeño, cumin, chicken broth, and chicken. Place the lid on top of the Instant Pot and secure. Set vent to “Sealing”.

Select the “Soup” setting on the Instant Pot. Adjust the time to 30 minutes on “High Pressure” and cook. After cooking, let the pressure naturally release for 20 minutes before carefully switching the vent to “Venting” and releasing any remaining pressure.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the Instant Pot and shred. (I like to use two forks.) Set the shredded chicken aside.

Using an immersion blender, blend the remaining tomatillo mixture in the Instant Pot until smooth. Return the shredded chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir to mix. Add lime juice to taste, as well as the (optional) finely chopped cilantro. Adjust flavor as needed with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm topped with optional garnishes.

Notes

Leek Leaves: A low FODMAP serving is ⅔ cup or 54 grams.

Tomatillos: To date, only canned and drained tomatillos have been tested. A low FODMAP serving is 1 cup or 75 grams.

Jalapeño: I make this recipe using 1 jalapeno with seeds. This adds a good amount of heat. 🙂 To decrease the level of spiciness, remove seeds and/or use a ½ jalapeño. Green chiles (like jalapeños) are low FODMAP, however, contain capsaicin. Capsaicin may be a non-FODMAP IBS trigger for some folks. Avoid if you believe you fall into this camp.

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Comments

Amerissays

September 13, 2019 at 12:34 pm

Just made this and I’m sipping on some now. It’s so good! It tastes like the green salsa from La Constena I would have all the time before IBS. I doubled the recipe and used 1 deseeded jalapeno, perfect for me. It’s a very easy recipe. I was going to opt out of the blending at the end since I don’t have an immersion blender, but OMG – don’t skip that part! The tomatillos give such a nice flavour that they need to be in every bite. And when the leeks are blended it doesn’t taste like leeks (which makes it more authentic tasting) Bookmarking this! Thanks so much, Em 🙂

Thanks, Syema! Fresh tomatillos have not yet been tested for FODMAP content. Sometimes processing can impact the FODMAP content of foods. So, I recommend using canned, which have been tested and are low FODMAP. 🙂